'Little Lomu' spells trouble for underdogs

'I don't know if the changes will help us because the new players must be coming through and they must be hungry. Anyway, any team England put in front of Romania will be too strong for us ... at this moment.'

In the light of England's second successive win over the Wallabies, Paraschiv is in no doubt his men will be facing one of the form sides.

He said: 'There is not a big difference between the big three from the southern hemisphere and England because it all depends on the day - if they have a good day they can beat any of those three teams.'

Yet, Paraschiv remains positive, adamant that his players should relish the occasion.

He said: 'If we have the possibility to run the ball we will try. If we got one or two tries against England that would be like a Christmas present to me. The English will have the same attitude as they do against the big teams, they will play the same way. But I will never tell the players that they will lose against England. We talk about enjoying the game, having pride and how it is an honour to be here.'

Romania will not be playing to their full potential because much of that potential lies in France, where clubs put obstacles in the path to international appearances. As a result, Paraschiv always operates with one hand tied behind his back. Each match brings enforced changes in personnel. Despite the problems, his passion remains undimmed, an infectious enthusiasm best summed up by a story from his days as Romania's scrum half.

He said: 'On a tour of England I played against a South team before the international and I was injured in the shoulder. After the game I told the doctor: "If you do not get me fit for the game against England, I will kill you." I desperately wanted to play against England. It was a big moment for me in my career to play at Twickenham.'

If his players show such commitment on Saturday, they will not let him down.